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湖边 (hú biān) — lakeside; the area beside a lake

Definition

noun
lakesidethe area beside a lake

Examples

  • 湖边。
    Wǒ men zhōu mò qù hú biān sàn bù.
    We go for a walk by the lake on weekends.
  • 湖边。
    hú biān Yǒu hěn duō rén zài diào yú.
    There are many people fishing by the lake.
  • 湖边。
    Tā men zhù zài hú biān de yí dòng fáng zi lǐ.
    They live in a house by the lake.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

湖húlake
边biānedge

湖 (lake) and 边 (edge) combine to mean the area beside a lake.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
胡
胡hú湖hú
Same sound today

湖 pairs 水 (water) with 胡 (hú), which gives the sound.

Open 湖 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 邊; 边 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuòwalking; movement
Sound part声符shēngfú
臱
臱mián邊biān(r)
Same sound today

The traditional form 邊 pairs 辶 (walking; movement) with the sound part 臱; the simplified 边 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 边 →
Appears in
Geography & Landforms

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